Pittsburgh public safety officials say 83 people were arrested at protests and other events during the Group of 20 summit and about $50,000 in
property damage was done.
Police say a man who smashed windows at a Citizens Bank branch in the city's Oakland section was responsible for $20,000 in damage.

Amid protesters chanting “this is what a police state looks like” while swiveling hula hoops on their hips, business owners in Pittsburgh's
Oakland neighborhood were out Friday, assessing the damage caused by an outbreak of rioting G-20 protesters Thursday night.

A stretch of Forbes Avenue from Oakland Avenue to Atwood Street saw at least a half dozen storefront windows broken, most belonging to the type of
big, corporate, chain retail considered prime targets by protest groups opposed to the global capitalist system. They included McDonald’s, American
Apparel, FedEx, Subway, Panera and Rite Aid, among others.

Georgia Petropoulos, executive director of the Oakland Business Improvement District, said there was more damage than she expected given the fact that
the neighborhood prepared as much as it could and that the police had a major presence to protect it.

“We didn’t anticipate this many,” she said. “We really didn’t.”

The biggest surprise to her was that it wasn’t just national chains that got hit but local independents and franchise operators.

That includes the popular Forbes Avenue location of Pamela’s Diner and the Irish Design Center, a local independent business on Craig Street for 30
years. Petropoulos felt badly for the owners of Subway and Quiznos, two sub shops hit that are part of national chains but operated by local
franchisees that are otherwise independent businesses.

“They’re franchisees that pay to have a name,” she said. “They’re not sitting on a corporate board of directors eating big profits.”

She said the tactics of the protesters who caused the damage made them difficult to stop because they wielded hammers and moved quickly to punch out
windows before disappearing back into the crowd.

The expense that comes from replacing windows remains to be seen. But the Quiznos on Craig Street, which saw virtually all of its windows broken,
noted in a sign on its door that its insurance doesn’t cover damage from riots.

“Please forgive the mess caused by the 'Peace Loving' 'Save the Earth' G20 Summit Protesters,” the sign said. “Even with broken windows,
Quiznos Food is still the best!”

Many businesses quickly moved to replace their broken windows, keeping area glass companies busy. Dan Budari of Steel City Glass Inc. said business
started around midnight, first boarding up damaged storefronts and then returning later in the morning with replacement glass.

Petropoulos said she was proud of the businesses for staying open, soldiering on despite the prospect of more damage today.

Six protest events, all which have city permits and are expected to be peaceful, are scheduled for Friday in Oakland, she said.

“We’re telling our business owners to stay alert," she said. "You should stay alert for the whole day. You should stay alert until tomorrow
morning."

It’s a lesson that won’t be lost on Paul Carey, owner of the Irish Design Center. Carey had to return to his business and clean up the damage of
his broken window last night, working until 1 a.m.

“We’re right there with the symbols of corporate capitalism,” he said with wry sarcasm, “a sole proprietor who cleans his own windows.”

Apparently you have no problems with the fact the police paraded down several streets where there was no riot, where there was no crowd, marched
through traffic and didn't do anything to prepare or warn a single person.

I guess you just find it "okay" that all this went down, that there are several videos showing a Single young girl getting beaten by
stormtroopers.

This was all just a-okay. This is acceptable because... Somewhere in ALL of Pittsburgh, some windows were broken at a Citizens Bank.
($20,000 windows? Scam much?)

Wow, let's unofficially declare martial law because someone broke the windows at the Citizens Bank in Oakland...........

Well, from what I've seen and read, all the damage was broken windows. This is to be expected.

I'd hardly call that a riot.

Steve even cited an article that claimed there was "roughly" $50,000 damage done overall, and somehow.. I don't know how (honestly), almost half of
the damage value was done to one Citizens Bank. Is the bank made entirely of windows?

Kinda funny, to be honest. I find it disturbingly amusing that they would consider this a riot.

I saw a video of a girl going up to a police and trying to hit him. You think that's OK? She should have been arrested.

Sorry Steve, I don't find an approx. 110-120lb young girl supposedly "hitting" a fully armored riot-police officer as a threat. I just don't see
it as a threat.. sorry. I guess you find young girls threatening? Are you married... ? Would you beat your wife with a club onto the ground, and then
continue hitting her because you thought she might hit you?

Like many Americans, you're stuck in this mentality that denotes some kind of "Ultimate Respect" of All "Law Enforcement Officers". Heaven forbid
you Ever stand up to a police officer. All those who do.. just.. How dare they! They are disrespectful punks that need to be punished!!

Oh my God, a young girl Almost touched a riot-police!! Beat her.. Beat her now!!! Before we lose all control!!

Why the hell are you guys talking about $50,000 worth of broken
windows? Estimates of lost business for merchants in the downtown
area figure in the millions. Why? Because the G20 picked Pittsburgh
to meet. And let's please not forget to add the burden of police
costs inflicted on the city by our wonderful world leaders. cha- ching!
A couple more million.
Pittsburgh lost money from businesses shut down, extra police
and traffic control, damage to businesses and homes and in their
image as a city. Ironically all this with Giant banners that said
"Pittsburgh Welcomes the World".
I doubt they'll ever try to welcome the world again and who could
blame them!

If I follow my hunch correctly, you are a BigGov Mis-info wannabe. Kids were gassed for no damned good reason than to practice new whizbang torture
devices. You will live to regret not standing against the thugs who protect the NWO crowd today.

The Nazis eventually got around to just about everyone in WWII, and the current fascist BogGov rulers of the USA will get around to you as well. By
then there will be no one to help you. We all choose where we stand. I'll stand for freedom over slavery any day.

I saw a video of a girl going up to a police and trying to hit him. You think that's OK? She should have been arrested.

I think it's AWESOME! Imagine if the whole school turned out and chased
down all 50 or so of those cops and taken away their toys, particularly
those LRAD hearing impairment devices. The girl deserves a freedom medal.

What's funny is most people don't realize that the group could simply meet in a relatively secluded area, or at least.. you know .. a
"non-metropolis". Save a lot of time, money, manpower. Keep people away from injuries and broken windows etc.

But no.. they can't accept that. They just Have to do what they Really came for, and that's to bring a big wave of chaos with them. They Want an
over-populated city so they can test their new toys, watch cops beat up young women, display their power and just intimidate the populace. Show 'em
who's boss. Meet in a resort in the woods? Blasphemy! Meet in a city so we can send in the Shock Troops!

Oh boy, do they love it. All the chaos they created, what wondrous Gods they have certainly become. True harbingers of power and chaos all at their
fingertips, only at their mere arrival does this wave of chaos splash! They mustn't lift a finger for it be so!

They must be proud, and thankful to themselves, for the world they're creating. Surely they are doubly thankful for the wonderful apologists that
apologize and equalize the social damage done. The simple-folk who have been soaked in propaganda since the day they were able to conceive words. No
longer do they need a suit and tie official to tell the world, "It's gonna be okay." They don't even need to rely on anyone ever again. The
populace polices themselves, they shun themselves and punish themselves for what the powerful hath wrought.

Nah.. it was just for broken windows.

Broken windows and little girls touching the troopers. You never do that.

I didn't say it was a threat. It is illegal, however, and she should have been arrested. This lack of respect for laws and law enforcement is what
causes some police to have a bad attitude, and leads to police brutality. I used to have an attitude when I got pulled over when I was younger. I came
to realize that I could avoid the reckless driving ticket by showing the cop some respect. You know why hardly anyone cares about these videos? Most
people probably think these types of 'protestors' deserve it.

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